Our annual Motor Trend Best Driver's car competition features nine of the newest and hottest sports cars. As part of our 2012 Best Driver's Car Week, we're highlighting each contender with a special hot lap video, along with a trackside download from professional race car driver Randy Pobst, who drove all nine cars to the limit at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Today's featured contenders vying for the 2012 Best Driver's crown are the Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911, and the Ford Shelby GT500. Stay tuned on Thursday, August 23, to find out who scored this year's title.

2013 Nissan GT-R Black Edition

The 2012 competition marks the third Best Driver's Car appearance for the Nissan GT-R. In each of its two prior appearances, Godzilla came up just short and has two silver medals on its mantel. Not content to let its flagship sit idle, Nissan upped the GT-R's performance yet again for 2013, earning it another invite to Best Driver's Car. The 2013 GT-R gets an extra 15 horsepower and 15 lb-ft of torque over the 2012 car, as well as refinement to its suspension and dual-clutch gearbox. The Black Edition package adds forged Rays 20-inch wheels, red and black Recaro seats, and a "dry" carbon-fiber spoiler.

On handling: Fantastic AWD traction off the corner. The downside -- that I felt was pretty prominent -- was mid-corner understeer. This car does not like power and steering. A lot like a powerful front-drive car. I don't remember it being that bad last year, but it is now, so the driver needs a lot of patience when entering the corner. Apex very late because you've got to be able to take steering out and drive it straight off the corner, just like a powerful front-drive car. Never got the slightest power drift of any sort; it just puts the power down. The AWD is really, really great off these tight corners. Coming out of the Corkscrew is amazing -- I think I got a four-wheel drift there. It certainly felt like it. That kind of stability allows me to really push the car.On the transmission: Transmission was really good. Quick, smooth shifts, and I didn't see it heat up like it used to in the old days. Before, it went up almost with the speedometer. When I came in after two-and-a-half laps, it was only 215, which is nothing for a transmission temp.On the brakes: The braking wiggled around a little bit, but it was pretty strong. It stopped well at first, but I started getting more and more fade as I ran.On the steering: Steering not as direct as some of the best ones, but still it was good, it was accurate.

On the engine: The engine's a turbo but I didn't have any issue with that at all. I didn't notice lag. The power comes on real quickly; it's got a broad powerband -- I think it's fatter than it used to be. I remember this engine being more of a high-RPM engine.Overall: I thought the car was a lot better last year than the first year. The first car had a lot of mid-corner understeer under power, the second one didn't, and now this one does again. It's predictable, it's never scary, but it's costing time in corners for sure. You just have to wait, wait, wait on the power. It was kinda frustrating because there's so much potential in every other way.Turn Notes:

Turn 2: Strong braking with some wiggle. Longer pedal than ideal. Fade on Lap 2. Nice little rotation at turn-in, but rotation does not last long enough. Lots of understeer mid-corner and pushy understeer on initial power application, but AWD traction out of the corner is hard to beat.Turn 5: Can brake late, but fade on Lap 2. Very sweet point-in, rotates a little. Drifts into banking like I like 'em to. Must be patient before adding power or it will understeer mid-corner. AWD traction out of corner is definite.Turn 11: AWD traction is killer off slow turn 11. Engine has very, very little lag on track. Good sounds with turbo whoosh.

bobdevoThat's what I said. Porsche is trying to make the 911 more of a Boxster in design and drivabilityPersonally, I'd rather have the 300 lbs removed, get the car that was designed as a mid-engine, and a $30k discount, with a full power roof as a bonus. Or wait for the 2014 Cayman S.....BD

Trooper_Bri, before you insert your foot farther into your mouth, you may want to research a little more about what Best Driver's Car is intended to show.Or, you can watch the first three cars and complain about how a $27,000 BRZ was compared to a $400,000 Aventador.Once again Porsche delivers. So frustrating that the 911 is ~$100,000. I really hope the new Boxster can make it to next year's challenge, as that car is closer to my price range (used).-T

@blackdynamite: Porsche stretched the wheelbase in the 991 and also developed a new transaxle, pushing the rear axle more than 7 inches further aft than the 997, essentially bringing the engine forward of the rear axle, thus making the new 911 arguably a mid-engine vehicle according to the definition of mid-engine.

So once again we're comparing an AWD vehicle with RWD vehicles. And once again putting the same GT-R against the same Mustang. Really?I'd like to see a comparison between a red square, blue circle, and yellow triangle next.

@BlackDynamite: "I bet the mid-engine Boxster S would be even better. . . 300 lbs lighter."Well, MAYBE . . . but the Boxster S is still down 85 hp, and while the Boxster is 9.14 lbs per HP, the 911 S is only 8.3 lbs per HP

I don't think the McLaren is going to take either of the top 2 spots for one reason: Randy turns off all the electronics and in order for the McLaren to do what it does, it has to have its electronic aids on.I remember seeing an episode of Fifth Gear where Tiff drove the 458 and McLaren back-to-back. He absolutely loved the 458 but hated the McLaren. He turned off all the aids and ended up spinning the damn thing. The McLaren is kind of like a fighter plane, it can't fly without its computer aids.

My top 2 picks at the beginning were the 911 and BRZ and so far my predictions are spot on. There may be a car that can steal 2nd place from the BRZ but I can't see any of the others being better than the 911.

@AstnMrtn007: Top Gear in England just completed their 26 car contest, which was won by the Scion FRS, with the McLaren, Lotus Exige and 911 tied for second. I'm inclined to believe the Porsche and BRZ will take the top 2 spots, as there are apparently some handling issues with the McLaren.

The GTR wasn't applauded like the BRZ was yesterday, or 911 today, so don't be a dope and put it in the top 2-3The ZL1 or McLaren may grab third, but the 911 and BRZ have the first two spots so far....BD

@ BlackDynamiteNYC - I think you're spot-on. Not sure how the rest of the field will finish, but I certainly think that the 911 and BRZ will finish first and second.The only car I can see upsetting that order is the McLaren.

@Sandro25MT is saving the best for last, thats why the ZL1 will be shown tomorrow and will easily smoke the Mustang as far as being a drivers car. 1.Porsche2.GT-R3.Mclaren MP4-12C4.Camaro ZL-15.BRZ6.Aventador7.Mustang8.Mercedes C639.Jaguar XKR-S

So Porsche wins this round, but I bet the mid-engine Boxster S would be even better. As they said, Porsche was trying to give this car a mid-engine feel. Imagine the real thing, only 300 lbs lighter?BD